Introducing Beyond Borders
Writing beyond the borders of just travel, fitness or daily observations because real life is a blend of it all
The Rebrand!
Welcome to the revamped "Beyond Borders with Dylan," formerly known as “Project 30”. A fresh chapter of my blog where I embrace a broader range of topics that ignite my passions. Before, I wrote mainly about Project 30 (P30). That marked an incredible milestone in my life, a year-long mission to conquer 30 ultra marathons and marathons across 30 different locations during my 30th birthday year. But, I felt boxed with my writing options last year. Going beyond the P30 border, I can write about my passions. Such as travel, fitness, and all the wild things that happen during the ride that is life.
I have been very lucky in my life and I realize that most people will never be fortunate enough to travel as much as I have or do crazy things like P30. This revamped blog is my attempt to share those unique experiences in the hope that I can inspire you to:
create your own version of P30.
learn a fitness technique that will help enhance your fitness routine.
decide to push beyond your comfort zone. Maybe you’ll decide to travel solo for the first time.
share your stories.
Ultimately, I want to encapsulate the spirit of exploration, personal growth, and sharing unique experiences. Either way, at the very least, I'm thrilled to help fill your inbox with yet another email that you'll promise to get around to reading when you have the time.
The Personal
Let me shortly (re)introduce myself—I'm Dylan, born in Italy but forged in the United States. My love of travel began as a young boy, transitioning from one country to another. When we moved to the US my mom became a flight attendant. Her career allowed me to travel a lot as a child, as she would take me on trips with her worldwide. I even had the chance to fly solo as a five-year-old. The crew members' thrill of having me on the plane and treating me like family cemented my love of travel. It also gave my brother, sister, and me an incredible superpower. The ability to fly on stand-by flights to any corner of the world. This superpower allowed me to visit most of the 60 countries I have traveled to. (I discussed losing that power and learning to become a regular person like you in this previous post.)
When I turned 18, I served in the Marine Corps. This experience instilled in me three central values:
Resilience after years of getting screamed at like a child by fellow grown men.
Determination to do just about anything after many pre-dawn wake ups in below freezing conditions.
Adventurousness after years of bizzare and unique adventurous that only the military could provide.
Those values continue to shape my dedication to the passions that I have. Once out of the military, I started growing a freedom beard. It announced to the world that I didn’t have to shave every day anymore. Also, potentially more importnantly, thanks to my time in the military, I had the chance to pursue higher education at Columbia University. Giving me a chance to live in the world’s greatest and dirtiest city, New York. This path led me to a career in consulting, my first proper exposure to the corporate world. One I left behind to embark on the slightly crazy (okay, definitely crazy), journey of Project 30.
The Blog
This blog will become my sanctuary. A place where I will share my unsolicited thoughts, experiences, and insights.
I'll write and explore:
Lessons and tips from traveling to 60 countries.
Reflections on meditation.
Life-changing decisions like deciding to quit a six-figure salary.
Mundane moments like receiving unconditional help from a Thai stranger.
Lessons and tips from a decade-long dedication to fitness.
Dating while traveling.
Living in foreign countries.
And many other topics that blend into the borders of travel, fitness, and life as a whole.
I'll give tips and share stories because now that I am in my 30s, I have the overconfidence of a 20-year-old Gen Z life coach.
In truth, I have been uncomfortable sharing my thoughts and experiences all my life. It’s why I struggle with posting and using social media. So, this blog will be my training ground for expressing myself through writing. It's my way of getting out of my comfort zone. A place where I can spend dedicated time honing in on fresh ideas and perspectives. Where I will force myself to be vulnerable. Because scrolling through Instagram and YouTube for some reason doesn't work for that.
The Community
But it's not only about me. It's about building a community of like-minded people. People who dare to sacrifice some social media time to humor my desire to be a better writer. A place where I can be comfortable being uncomfortable and, hopefully, motivate you to do the same. By joining this journey, you can share your comments and offer suggestions. Even if it’s just comments or suggestions like, “Hey, wow, what great writing you have! " or “Please keep sharing these profound insights,” or, you know, whatever may come to mind.
The Schedule
With this rebranding, I plan to maintain a consistent publishing schedule. I plan to post at least twice a month on Wednesdays. According to a quick Google search I did, the best time to post a blog is midday in the middle of the week. They say that's when people are bored at work and are most willing to do some mindless reading. Works for me. I am happy to offer mindless reading for your boring hump day.
To cultivate discipline and dedication in my writing. I'm setting a mission to remain consistent with this twice-a-week publishing. Otherwise, I’ve learned that my writing withers away, much like a forgotten house plant does. By stating this intention from the outset, I seek accountability from the very community I hope to foster.
The Call to Action
Join me on this path as we traverse the boundaries of fitness, travel, and personal growth. Together, there's a chance we will learn something. Or, at the very least, you'll tickle my ego by letting my blog take up some space in your email inbox. Welcome to the era of "Beyond Borders with Dylan."
Awesome! Keep writing Dylan! (Ck sp) love this!!